Identification device



Feb.. 23, 1932.,

W. H. WHEELER IDENTIFICATION DEVICE Filed Sep. l2, 1923 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITEDy STATES Y PATENT OFFICE a WILLIAM H. WHEELER., F GLEN RIDGE, NEW ASSIGNOR, BY. MESN ASSIGN- MENTS, TO FEIDCO NUMBER PLATE CORPORATION, 0F NEW YORK, N.`Y., A CORCPOBA- TION 0F .DELAWARE IDENTIFICATION DEVICE ,Application medse'ptember 12, 192s. serial 662,231.

This invention relates to improvements in identification devices. It is concerned particularly with an identication plate for automobiles, but it should be understood that li the device to be hereinafter disclosed may be 'used on other transportable vehicles and machines. y

The prime object of the invention is to provide an identification plate which will serve to deter and in a large measure prevent `the undetected theft of an automobile. This object is accomplished by providing a plate of the character stated which cannot be altered without detection and which cannot be duplilf cated without great labor and expense.`

With these and other objects in vie-w, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangement of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, y

Fig. l is a plan view of my improved identification plate, y

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of plate,

tion on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. p

Referring with particularity to Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, reference character is used to designate a metallic identiiication plate. Any of a number of different metals might be used for the plate. Iron and nickel may be mentioned here as proving satisfactory for the purpose, but of course I am not limited to their use.

The raised edges 11 of the plate form a sort of frame or border for the identifying indicia 12. These indicia are usually in the form ofnumerals, each car being sent from` the factory with a number plate on the engine block and on the frame. The numerals are raised slightly above the body of the plate as seen in Figure 2, although they are somewhat below the level of the border lll'.

Within the border, there is an inlay of some metal which willf contrast sharply with the metals of the numerals and border. Copper Fig. 4 is an enlarged view in transverse sec` may serve for this'purpose'. The copper indicated at 13 is inlaidin the upper face of the plate andis flush With'theindicia l2. This rather thin copper inlay'forms solid background of contrasting' color for the numbers.

lI-lowever, a `mere set ofnumbers is not suflicientfor complete identification of the car because the same set of numbers may beused by cars of entirely different makes and Where numbers alone are used, a thief might switch a pla'tefrom one carto another. u It is therefore` necessary toV add totheplate, a design which is peculiar to the particular make' or model ofthe car `on which the plate isto be used; rllhis design` may embody they name of the car, theinitials of 'the name of the car, a trademark tov identify the malte or model of the car or the manufacturer' of the car, or a symbol peculiar to the make or model of the car. Such a design which thus becomes a part of the identifyingindicia, maybe inlaid yin thecopper background as at 14 and ma be formed in brass or some othermetal w ich `will contrast"V decidedly with both thenumbers and the background. In Figure 1,1 have shown an ifnlaiddesign which consists ofthe name of the car frequently repeated throughout the copper field` I prefer to identify the malte of the car for which the plate is intended by using the name of the car as part of the design. 4ltwvill be evident, however, that the design may be indefinitely complicated `or materially simplified Without departing from the invention `and I do not limit myself to the use of the name as part of it.

The plate as thus far describedteffectively defies mechanical :reproduction vor alteration except at great cost. 'Io insure. against possible photographic reproduction, I may emboss a further design on the plat-e. This embossing serves to force a design out of the face of `the plate flush Withthe border 1l. The embossing indicated by the braclretednumerals l5 in Figure 2" includes all threemetals since the embossed design is independent of the other design and the embossing is repeated indiscriminately throughout the length of the late. p It will be evident that the embossed design may carry the name of the car or such indicia Hcal characters.

as are peculiar to the particular make or model Aof the car, in which case the background could carry a conventional design not necessarily peculiar to the particular make or model of the car for which the plate is intended. In fact, the background could Ybe left without any special design, although in order to complicate the unauthorized reproduction or counterfeiting of the plate, it is preferable to inlay .a design .in the .back-` ground. Ingeneral .then,`I.diVide the indicia necessary for the complete identification of the car into two classes, one representing the make or model of the car (hereafter termed the make indicia) andthe other the num-- ber of the car (hereafter termed as the number indicia), and I `superpose one class of indicia upon the other. This may bedone either by embossing as shown in Fig. 1, or by inlaying, shown in Fig. 3Vpresently to ybe described. By the term, number indicia, I intend to include Vany indicia representing specific cars of a certain makeV or model whether expressed in numerals or alphabeti- In Figure l, the dark stipple indicates the inlaid copper background, the light stipple indicates the inlaid brass design and the un- `shaded surface the nickel or iron of the numerals and the body ofthe plate. The em vbossing has been indicated by outlined shad- .1n Y' Y 'he processes by which theseplates may be made are no part of therpresent invention. One of said processes forms the subject matter of a separate applicati'onfiled oneven date herewith. 'IheA matter of attaching Vthe plates to the .engine or theV `chassis fram-e of Uan .automobile is also immaterial to this case,

but I have shown lugs 16 von the back of the plate Vwhich lfacilitate spot welding of .the-

'plates to their supports. Y V. l

` kIn Figures 3 andi, I have .illustrated another form which my invention may take. In ,this instance, the plate is of two metal construction. The background 20 is of the saine metalfas the numerals 21 and border 22.

The background is surfaced in a Vmanner which will cause it tocontrast sharply in color with the indicia and the border. Assuming that the plate is of iron, the background may -be oxidized or blued while the number indicia and border are highly polished. vBoth across lthe polished face of the numberi-ndicia as well as across'the oxidized background A .process of forming the plates .show-n `in n Withthis form of theV inventiomtheinlay may if desired extend* Figures 3 and 4 is also described in the copending application above referred to.

There are a number of Variations and alterations in the construction of the plate which mightbe resorted to without departing from the invention. A greatyariety of metals for instance aresuitable lfor forming the plates. The inlaid Vdesign and the embossed design may be infinitely varied. The two metalplates may loeV vformed y.with .ern- 75 Vbossing or the three metal .plates unembossed.

The name of the carneed notLnecessaiil-y'lform apart of the inlaid design. The number indicia while preferably comprising numerals may take'th'e form ofalphabetical characters spelling outthe numerals. In fact,any identifying indicia suitable 'for the .purpose may bey used. Withthe forml of invention shown in Figure 3, the inlaid design need not .necessarily extend over the face of the indicia. The border. may be discarded altogether. The formationv of lugs on the plates is ,a -matter of convenience rather than invention. In this connection, it mightbe noted thatt'he laid material need'not necessarily 'form the Ybackground or'the design. The identifying number indicia might be inlaid together'with the background or the number indicia and make indicia may beinlaid; in fact, yarious slightchanges and alterations might .be made withoutdeparting `from .the spirit and scope ofx the appended claims. 'i

`I claim.: lV

1. An identification .plate comprising .a body portion, identifyingfindicia integral 1.00 with the body portion, a metal inlay surrounding the indicia .and forming abackground therefor, and ametal design .inlaid in the background.

y. V2. A metalidentificationvplateicomprising '105 a relatively thick vhotly Portion, and' ainetal design inlaid `onlone face of .the'bod'y iportion,

VVsaid body portion including raised identifying indicia .continuing through `the design.v

3. "An identification plate comprisinggthree v:1.10 laminations V.of differently colored metals, two of said metals extending through .the

lthi-rd metal and being exposed on thesurface of the plate, said surface Yembodying identifyfing indicia formedby one of the'metals.

4. A plate of the class describedformed of ya, plurality `of metals and including .a surface displaying a ,background VYofone metal and identifying indiciafof different metals inlaidin .the background, ,said4 surface being 120 embossed to display a design .andv said embossed .design being superposed .upon both indicia'andbackgroundv y i.

. 5. `A plate ofthe class described formedofa plurality of metalsandincludinga surface displaying a background of one metal `and identifying Vindicia Aof different metals -inlaid in the background and aninlaiddesign in the background, said ksurface being-embossed to .display an additonalpdesign, -the :embossed 113C face being embossed to display a further de-` sign traversing the background, the indicia andthe aforementioned design.

7. A plate of the class described comprising a surface displayin A a background bearing two classes of identi class of indicia being inlaid in the back-` ground and the other class being embossed, a

part of the embossed indicia traversing a part of the inlaid indicia.

WILLIAM H, WHEELER.

ying indicia thereon, one n 

